On Tuesday, Saudi clubs will complete their appearance in the first round of the elite AFC Champions League with two heavy-caliber matches, as Al-Hilal begins its continental journey by hosting Al-Gharafa of Qatar at the “Kingdom Arena” stadium in the capital, Riyadh, while Al-Nasr returns to the tournament through a difficult test outside its home ground against Al-Ain of the Emirates at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
The two confrontations carry great ambitions for Al Hilal and Al Nasr, as the former returns to the tournament with the bitterness of exiting in the round of 16 last season in his memory, while the latter marks his return to the “Elite” after missing its previous edition due to his participation in the AFC Champions League 2, placing the continental title among his most prominent goals this season.
In Riyadh, Al Hilal begins its journey against Al Gharafa and is in a high technical and morale state, especially after the strong reaction it showed in the last round of the Saudi Professional League when it swept Al Taawoun 6-0.
The broad victory quickly returned Al Hilal to the path of victories, and confirmed the extent of the offensive power possessed by Italian Simone Inzaghi before moving to the continental battle.
The moment of farewell to the last edition of the tournament is not forgotten in Inzaghi’s memory, when Al Hilal’s journey ended in the round of 16 against Al Sadd of Qatar on penalty kicks, an end that makes the team enter the new edition with a double desire to present a different journey and reach the final stages.
Al Hilal has a clear advantage on paper, starting with the ground staff and the crowd, all the way to a list full of stars and various offensive options that have made the difference in the recent period.
Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli leads these names after he stole the show by scoring a hat-trick in the six-team collaboration, along with Englishman Ollie Watkins and Dutchman Summerville, while Serbian Sergei Savic and Portuguese Ruben Neves give the team great weight in the midfield, along with a number of local elements such as Mendash and Mohamed Kanno.
Al Hilal is looking for an ideal start that will give it the first three points in the tournament, especially since the ambitions do not stop at the borders of passing the league stage, but rather extend to competing for the title and returning to the Asian podium.
As for Al-Gharafa, Faisal arrives in Riyadh knowing very well the extent of the tests that await him in front of Saudi clubs, after he faced a number of them in the last edition, and lost to Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly, while his biggest loss was to Al-Ittihad with a clean score of seven.
The Qatari team is not experiencing its best period at the local level, as it occupies ninth place with 4 points after four rounds, during which it achieved a victory and a draw compared to two losses, which is a beginning that puts it in front of a greater challenge when it faces Al Hilal in Riyadh.
Al-Gharafa is led by coach Pedro Martinez, and has a group of experienced names, led by Algerian Yacine Brahimi, Florenel Koeman, striker Franck Magri, and midfielder Fabricio Diaz, in addition to Tunisian Ferjani Sassi, who previously represented Al-Nassr Saudi Arabia.
South Korean Jang Hyun-soo also returns to face his former team, Al-Hilal, after spending a successful experience in the Capital Blue shirt, which adds a special dimension to the confrontation for the veteran defender.
In the city of Al Ain, attention turns to one of the most prominent matches of the round when Al-Nasr hosts Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates, in a match that returns the Saudi team to the elite AFC Champions League after its absence from the last edition.
Al-Nasr had participated in the AFC Champions League 2 last season, and reached the final match before losing the chance to be crowned, returning this time to the highest continental championship with great ambitions and a desire to compete for a title that remained an important goal for the team.
The experience of his last participation in “Elite” is still fresh in memory, after his career in the previous edition ended in the semi-finals, which makes the new return loaded with ambitions that go beyond mere attendance.
Al-Nasr is going through its current season in a different way under the leadership of Australian Postecoglou, who took over the job succeeding Portuguese Jorge Jesus, and made changes to the team’s approach and style.
Although Al-Nasr has a large group of stars, its performance has witnessed some fluctuations during the recent period, the most recent of which was its draw against Al-Khaleej in the last round of the league, which makes it required to show a different reaction in the continental test.
Stability in terms of names remains one of Al-Nasr’s most prominent weapons, with the presence of Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo at the forefront of the offensive options, along with his compatriot Joao Felix, who represents one of the team’s most important cards, and Senegalese Sadio Mane, at a time when the absence of Frenchman Kingsley Coman is expected to continue due to injury.
Victory's mission does not seem easy for Al Ain, which has a great history and experience in Asian competitions, in addition to its strong start this season at the local level.
Al Ain occupies second place in the UAE League, equal in score with leaders Al Jazira and lagging behind them on goal difference, after collecting its points from four wins and a draw in five rounds, maintaining its record without loss.
The Emirati-Serbian team is led by Vladimir Ivic, and has a group of players capable of making a difference, led by veteran goalkeeper Khaled Issa and Moroccan Sofiane Rahimi, along with Abdelkarim Traoré and Kaku, who knows the atmosphere of Saudi football after having previously represented Al-Taawoun, while Moroccan Hussein Rahimi is among the attacking options.
The 8 Gulf teams are entering the final stage of their preparations to participate in the 27th edition of the “Arabian Gulf Football Cup - Gulf 27”, which is hosted by the Saudi city of Jeddah for the first time in the history of the tournament, during the period from September 23 to October 6, 2026, amid disparities in preparation programs between foreign camps, local gatherings, and friendly matches.
The first group includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Kuwait, while the second includes Qatar, the Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen. The tournament’s competitions will be held at “King Abdullah Sports City Stadium” and “Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium,” with the two semi-final matches being held on October 3, and the final match on the 6th of the same month.
As the kick-off date approached, some teams entered the actual camps, while other technical staff were waiting for the completion of their players’ engagements with their clubs before announcing the final lists, while the Yemeni team chose to arrive early in Jeddah, while Kuwait preferred to set up a camp in Qatar before completing its preparations in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia... Donnis' menu on Wednesday and the gathering in Jeddah
On Wednesday, the Saudis are awaiting the announcement of the Greek Georgios Donis, coach of the Saudi national team, his final list to participate in the tournament, before the “Green” team enters its gathering in Jeddah a week before the start of the competitions.
The Saudi national team begins its campaign against Kuwait on September 23 at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, in a match that carries great importance for both parties at the start of the first group race.
Al-Akhdar is looking to regain the Gulf Cup title, which it has been missing for more than two decades, as the last Saudi crown in the tournament dates back to the 2003 edition, which was held in Kuwait.
Iraq... notable absences
The list of the Iraqi national team participating in “Gulf 27” is expected to be announced on Wednesday, with its delegation arriving in Jeddah on September 20, where it will stay at the Marriott Hotel, without playing a friendly match before the start of the tournament.
The list is expected to witness notable absences, led by the absence of captain Jalal Hassan after a 16-year career with the national team, along with Mohannad Ali “Mimi”, young goalkeeper Kamil Saadi and Kevin Yaqoub due to injury, as well as Rebin Sulaqa after he announced his retirement.
On the other hand, the technical staff received positive news about the readiness of defender Akam Hashem after recovering from injury, as well as Ali Jassim, while Saif Rashid, the top scorer in the Iraqi league so far with 5 goals, will be among the available options, provided that Ayman Hussein will carry the team’s captaincy during the tournament. Iraq will open its campaign against Oman on September 23 at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.
Oman... Waiting for Renaissance and Seeb
The Omani national team has not announced its roster yet; The technical staff is waiting for the completion of the Al-Nahda and Al-Seeb players’ commitments in the Asian tournament before deciding the names that will participate in the tournament.
The Omani national team will face Iraq in the opening round, before continuing its journey in the group that also includes Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Kuwait...a camp in Doha and Friendly Yemen
The Kuwaiti national team has entered an advanced stage of its preparations. Portuguese coach Helio Sousa chose 27 players to participate in the preparations, before entering the camp in Qatar.
“Al-Azraq” played a friendly match against Lusail Club, which ended with a 2-0 victory, while its preparations include a friendly match against Yemen on September 18, before entering the tournament atmosphere.
Souza's choices do not bring any major surprises; It includes prominent names, including goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi, Mohamed Dahham, and Youssef Nasser, along with a group of young players, including Abdullah Al-Qarza’i, who previously participated in the “U-20 Asian Cup” qualifiers, and was the “best player” and top scorer in the U-20 league.
The opening confrontation against Saudi Arabia receives special attention within the Kuwaiti camp, and Youssef Al-Haqqan, the team’s defender, described it as carrying “special calculations” as a “Gulf derby,” while a number of “Blue” players stressed the importance of coming out with a positive result that gives the team a boost in the rest of the group’s journey.
The Kuwaiti national team holds the record for the number of Gulf Cup wins, with 10 titles, the last of which was in 2010.
Bahrain... 9 from the youth team
The Bahraini national team began its local gathering on Sunday, September 13, at the external stadiums of the Bahrain Football Association, as part of a program that extends until the time of traveling to Jeddah on the 20th of the same month.
The preliminary list witnessed the addition of Ali Mahran, while the presence of 9 players from the U-20 team stands out, in addition to the return of goalkeeper Ibrahim Lotfallah, while the position of defender Amine Benadi remains undecided due to injury, as the technical staff will determine his position according to the extent of his complete readiness.
The team continues its training until September 16, before announcing the final list the next day, then enters a local camp at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel on September 18, and conducts its final training in Bahrain on the 19th, before traveling to Jeddah the next day, without playing friendly matches.
The Muharraq and Khalidiya players, in addition to Mohammed Marhoon, the Kuwaiti player, are scheduled to join the gathering immediately after the end of their engagements in the “AFC Champions League 2”.
Yemen...early arrival and friendly Kuwait
The Yemeni team chose to arrive early in Jeddah to enter a preparatory camp led by its coach, Noureddine Ould Ali, in a step that gives it the opportunity to adapt to the atmosphere of the city that is hosting the championship competitions.
The Yemeni national team will play a friendly match against Kuwait on September 18, as part of its final preparations, while the camp witnessed the enrollment of a number of players successively, including Nasser Muhammadu, a professional in Kuwaiti club Kazma, and Adel Abbas, a youth player in the Saudi Al-Shabab Club, along with Tariq Shehab, one of the diaspora players in Britain.
Yemen begins its campaign in Group Two against the UAE on September 24 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, then faces Qatar on the 27th of the same month.
Qatar... limited changes expected
The Qatari national team is preparing to reveal its list to participate in “Gulf 27” on Wednesday, amid expectations that it will not witness major changes compared to the list that participated in the World Cup.
The Qatari national team begins its campaign against Bahrain on September 24, before facing Yemen in the second round on September 27, then the UAE on September 30 at the end of the group stage competitions.
UAE... Dalic begins the mission with 62 players
On the other hand, the UAE national team decided its roster early, after Croatian Zlatko Dalic announced the selection of 26 players to participate in the tournament in his first roster since he took over the job, succeeding Romanian Cosmin Olariu.
Dalic, who led Croatia to second place in the 2018 World Cup and third place in the 2022 edition, retained most of the names that competed in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The list includes Khaled Issa, Hamad Al-Muqbali, and Fahd Al-Dhanhani in goalkeeping, along with names including Fabio Lima, Ali Saleh, Sultan Adel, and Hareb Abdullah.
The list also includes 16 naturalized players, including 4 new faces, namely Youri Cesar and Bala Guilleram from Shabab Al-Ahly, Mamadou Coulibaly from Al-Jazira, and Othman Kamara from Al-Sharjah.
Al-Abyad will hold an internal camp in Abu Dhabi during the period from September 16 to 21, which includes a number of training sessions, before the mission departs for Jeddah on the 21 of the same month.
The UAE national team will begin its campaign against Yemen on September 24, then face Bahrain on the 27th, before meeting Qatar on September 30 at the end of the group stage.
